Cooperalls

When I was playing house league hockey at Rennie Park in the Swansea Hockey Association, you could always tell the best players. They wore Cooperalls.

The SHA gave all players jerseys and socks, but the highly skilled forwards all played in other leagues as well, and in those leagues they often wore Cooperalls. Cooperalls were long hockey pants that were worn in place of hockey shorts and did not require socks. If you played hockey in the early and mid 80s, you likely saw them in action.

The Cooperalls became a dead giveaway that the opposing player was a potential game-changer. It was nice of the all-stars to identify themselves in this manner. As you might have guessed, I never wore Cooperalls.

But the 1981-1982 Philadelphia Flyers did!

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I used to wear these things when I played for Brampton way back in the early 80's... they were brutally uncomfortable and I hated them. I think the biggest probelm was the fact that Brampton's colours back then were maroon and white... believe me when I say they were God awful!!

I remember (with a chuckle) the first version was brutal if you fell and were trying to get up - subsequent versions had a patch of material on the knee to give you some traction on the ice ... ha! (and ... I'm a goalie - I've never even cheated and worn sweatpants under the pads - hockey socks are for ... hockey!!!) Shaiba!